With three installments of the Fast and the Furious series behind him and another one in the works — not to mention that brief flirtation with the Terminator franchise — director Justin Lin has become the go-to guy for escapist action flicks. But the film that originally put him on the map ten years ago was something rather different: the Asian-American drama Better Luck Tomorrow.

Now, as cameras continue to roll on Fast and the Furious 6, Lin’s considering a return to more serious territory with L.A. Riots. The project, which was originally set up at Universal years ago with Spike Lee attached to direct, centers on the riots sparked by the acquittal of four LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King. Over six days in April 1992, the riots claimed 53 lives and cost about $1 billion in property damage. More details after the jump.